Northern Moldova courts flooded with 1,800 electoral corruption cases
Files concerning electoral corruption are overwhelming the Moldovan courts portal. Most of the cases are being handled by magistrates in Northern Moldova.
The districts of Sângerei, Drochia, Fălești, Soroca, and the municipality of Bălți dominate this concerning ranking, with 1,800 files sent to court. This concentration of cases reflects the scale of a phenomenon dangerous to democracy and electoral integrity.
The phenomenon of electoral corruption has evolved significantly in recent years, utilizing increasingly sophisticated methods that are harder to document, as noted by experts from the Association for Participatory Democracy ("ADEPT").
"It is very important for citizens across the country to have access to objective, neutral, and evidence-based information about the political and electoral processes taking place in the Republic of Moldova," declared Polina Panainte, ADEPT Deputy Director.
ADEPT Executive Director, Igor Boțan, highlighted recent successes: "We all remember that almost 10,000 citizens in the Republic of Moldova were fined; only approximately 3% of those fined actually paid these fines. The election results and the removal of the Șor network parties from the electoral process is a significant success for the governing authorities."
Combating electoral corruption must come through a dual approach: effective sanctions alongside deep social and economic changes, according to the event's participants.
One participant remarked: "The problem is a classic vicious circle: poverty breeds corruption, and corruption, in turn, fuels poverty. The approach requires two dimensions: creating mechanisms and laws to prevent this, implemented from the top, and at the same time, working directly with the community and the people living in the villages and towns of the Republic of Moldova."
"We observe very massive phenomena in places, even in the municipality of Bălți, where young people are being attracted into such traps. Our initiatives are primarily focused on combating this by correctly informing the youth and encouraging fair elections."
ADEPT announced that it will continue to monitor the ongoing cases and the way the justice system ensures the integrity of the country's democratic processes.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
